I spent the entire day alone in the cell, breaking down completely. They had taken Celeste away, and I knew I might never see her again, which made my heart ache at the thought of her being sacrificed. Such cruelty, such inhumane behavior, was inflicted on innocent souls all because of one ruthless beast who simply refused to die. I prayed constantly to the Moon Goddess to protect her wherever she was now.
"Rebekah, she's like the eye of the pack," Anne said to me while we continued our work after Celeste was taken. "She speaks directly to the moon goddess, giving directions and advising how things need to be done to both strengthen and protect Slyagnor."
I was curious and genuinely needed to know more. Anne knew a lot about the Black Feathers because she had stayed here much longer than I had.
"And what about Dimitri? Who exactly is he?" I questioned, keeping my voice very low.
"He is the supreme leader, I believe," she explained. "Since Slyagnor never reveals himself, he entrusts all these important things into Dimitri's hands to control the pack." She sounded a little excited as she shared this information with me.
"You know, I believe the rumors they whisper about Slyagnor," she continued softly. "That he's actually an immortal beast who has stayed on earth for ages." She whispered this to me, looking quickly around to see if anyone was watching or listening.
"What do you actually believe in?" She suddenly questioned me. And I didn't even know the right answer to give her.
"Aside from being an immortal beast that has tormented, mistreated, and enslaved innocent lives over the years, packs even grumble at the mere mention of his name," I said, my voice low and filled with venom. "Aside from all that, there is pretty much nothing else I can tell you about him. He is just plain evil, and that is why I hope he suffers constantly." I said all this under one breath. Anne just looked at me, clearly surprised that I had so many hateful things to say about their leader.
Look at how I was being treated now, like filth. Worthless. And all of this was because of Caleb. In this modern world, slavery still existed. I found myself wishing and waiting for a wolf as powerful or stronger than Slyagnor to rise and destroy him once and for all. But how was that even possible when he was immortal?
Tonight was the full moon, which meant that if there were any sacrifices like Anne had said, they would surely be done today. The slave quarters were mostly quiet because some of the guards were hiding from the intense moonlight to keep themselves in check.
If I didn't do something to stop this ritual, I might never see Celeste again, and I just needed the keys to my chains to start my plan.
I remembered a ritual used by wolves in my old pack, one meant specifically to make someone lose control during the full moon. The moon's power would weaken their restraint and take over their mind completely.
I took a sharp stone and quickly hid it inside my dress.
When the guard walked behind me, alone in the woods as we headed toward my cellblock, I slowly cut my palm just enough to let it bleed while I recited the words under my breath.
The spell was designed to draw power from the moon and force a weak wolf to instantly fall under its full influence.
My whispers grew louder as I spoke the foreign words.
Then I heard him abruptly stop.
He winced sharply.
Then he screamed.
His bones began to break and crush immediately, and I heard them crack as his eyes started to glow with unnatural light. I spoke louder, repeating the ritual words over and over again.
"What have you done to me?" he groaned loudly out of pain, instantly realizing I was the cause of his sudden shift.
I moved immediately, checking his pockets as he suffered under the moonlight. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and my hands shook violently as I struggled desperately to pull the keys free.
His guttural growl made me shiver with fear.
Suddenly, he reached for my hand violently, his sharp claws digging into my skin. I muffled my scream, because pain shot through me, but I did not stop searching.
Then I finally got the keys.
I stumbled backward as he continued to shift right in front of me, his body breaking and reshaping horribly under the moon's influence.
I unlocked the heavy chains and ran immediately into the woods before he could fully turn into a beast.
Then the noise began again.
Louder. Heavier. Heaven-piercing. A terrible cry of pain, grief, sorrow, and deep anguish. I tried to cover my ears, but it would not stop; it tore straight through me.
I moved through the woods in fear, doing nothing but following the disturbing sound of the cries. My heart raced as the trees thinned, and then I saw shadows ahead people gathered around a burning firelight.
I stopped and quickly hid behind a large tree.
That was when I saw them dragging the girls forward.
My breath caught painfully in my throat, and I knew it was too late.
Rebekah stood at the center, dressed in a dark, ceremonial cloak. I recognized her immediately as the same woman they had brought earlier.
The girls were all dressed in thin white robes.
I knew exactly what this was now.
Cold dread flooded my chest completely, and I realized I had no plan and no idea how to stop this ritual.
They forced the girls brutally to their knees.
Then Rebekah lifted her hands dramatically.
And she began to recite the chilling spell.
I watched as she carved harsh marks on their foreheads and then cut their palms. Blood oozed freely as they screamed and collapsed weakly to the ground.
It was almost Celeste's turn, and I absolutely had to stop it right now.
Without a second thought, I moved closer, noticing the carved symbols on the floor drawn with blood and salt. I broke the spell's bond immediately, wiping away the marks with my hands and the soil beneath me.
Someone shouted .
Rebekah instantly turned toward me.
I ignored them all, focusing only on the broken markings.
Rebekah shrieked in pure rage. "Kill her now."
"Yenoris!" Celeste screamed my name loudly.
Pain exploded sharply through my chest.
I looked down and saw the blade of a knife buried beneath my ribs.
My legs gave out completely, and I fell onto the ruined markings, my blood soaking into the broken spell on the ground.
The last thing I saw clearly was Celeste crying my name, before the world went dark.